


Halfway Here

by orphan_account



Category: RWBY
Genre: Extremely Dubious Consent, F/F, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Pining, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 17:12:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4230081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emerald is bitterly jealous of Cinder’s new favourite pet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Halfway Here

**Author's Note:**

> Completely self-indulgent garbage, written in August 2014. Inspired in part by [ailtern's](http://ailtern.tumblr.com) Cinderruby comics, such as [this one](http://ailtern.tumblr.com/post/87325551528/i-certainly-got-you-but-why-do-i-have-anxiety).

Emerald had never liked her.

She hadn’t liked the way the girl’s eyes gleamed on their first day infiltrating Beacon and she hadn’t liked the way Cinder had caught her gaze and locked it there. She didn’t like the way the girl looked now, either, after all the light had been drained from her eyes (in part, by Emerald’s own hands, she reminded herself with some glee) and she  _definitely_  didn’t like how the way Cinder looked at— _fixated on_ —Ruby Rose hadn’t changed one bit since that first day at Beacon.

Oh, sure, the games Emerald had been allowed to play with her were fun, to say the least. In the end, Ruby Rose, for all her vivacity and spirit and courage, had been  _so easy_ to break. Swept away from the protection of her teammates and locked into a thick wall of darkness, Ruby was just a shaky little kid at the mercy of her enemies.

Part of the game, of course, was to make it so that Cinder wasn’t an enemy, not in Ruby’s distorted eyes. Although Emerald didn’t like the nature of this end goal, she had relished the process leading up to it. Cinder had been possessive of her prize captive, sometimes not allowing anybody but herself to engage Ruby for weeks at a time, but Emerald had been personally permitted to oversee and help take part in most of Ruby’s rehabilitation. It was during this process that Emerald could most tolerate Ruby, whether this Ruby was gasping and terrified or off-balance and fragile or sedated and unsteady.

More than anything, Emerald had lived for the moments when Cinder would lean in, fingers holding Emerald’s cheek in a scorching caress, her lips brushing against her ear as she murmured, “Take care of Ruby for me today, okay?”

And she would bask in Cinder’s trust in her, the hot, gaping desire to impress her temporarily overriding her resentment at the way Cinder’s lips curved hungrily around the shape of Ruby’s name.

Well, Cinder had gotten what she was working for anyway: Ozpin’s most treasured pawn of sterling silver was now wholly hers. Wholly vulnerable and devoted. Wholly hollow, too—but that was an unfortunate side effect of their efforts.

Emerald paced outside the door of Ruby’s room, twisting the key in her fingers. She had hoped that after the long months of carefully crafting the girl into the perfect little toy Cinder had wanted, Cinder would finally get bored of Ruby Rose and grant Emerald permission to dispose of her—preferably in a slow and painful manner. To Emerald’s burning chagrin, Cinder never tired of her new favourite pet. To Emerald’s seething rage, Cinder was now almost  _protective_ of the broken, obedient girl. She clenched her fists.

Luckily for her, the best conduit for her frustration lay just behind that door, and Cinder was working today. Cinder didn’t have to know. Emerald shoved the key—the lone spare key that Cinder had entrusted to her and nobody else—into the lock and stepped inside.

The spacious, barebones room that Cinder had moved Ruby into after rescuing her from the darkness was bathed during all hours of the day in a dull yellow light. After everything, Ruby hated the dark now, Emerald knew, but the lights were allowed to be switched off when Cinder was there, when Cinder pressed Ruby’s eyelids closed with the tips of her fingers and pulled the shivery girl tight against her chest, evening out the tremors that rocked Ruby’s body whenever the windowless room was plunged into blackness.

At all other times, though, the lights were to be left on. Maybe because of that, time seemed to pause inside Ruby’s room. When Emerald was in there, nothing from the outside world tended to have much meaning—the war, her missions, the extent of Cinder’s sprawling plans ravaging the continent. The dim light in the room seemed to curve around and cling to the edges of Ruby’s hunched form seated on the bed.

Emerald shut the door softly behind her. At the sound of her entrance, Ruby turned her head and stood up. She was dressed simply and cleanly, in a white cotton shirt and a loose skirt, her identifying red cloak long since stripped away from her. The top three buttons of her shirt were undone, probably left open from Cinder’s visit the previous night. Emerald didn’t bother to hide her glower.

She waited patiently for Ruby’s eyes to find hers, for recognition to dawn on her face.

“E-Emerald,” she realized eventually. Hints of surprise and apprehension danced behind her greeting.

Emerald couldn’t help but smile at the crisp fear that momentarily sharpened Ruby’s unfocused gaze, but her vicious pleasure was soured by the knowledge that Ruby would feel safe with Cinder. Only with Cinder.

Sometimes it was confusing to figure out which part of that it was that bothered her.

She strode forward, not bothering to return the greeting. She carefully took grip of Ruby’s shoulders and steered her to sit back down at the edge of the bed. Emerald stood over her, surveying her critically, as Ruby stared up at her with wide, flat eyes. Her hands rested limply in her lap. Emerald couldn’t understand why Cinder was still interested in this lifeless ragdoll, but she did know how to have her own fun with her.

Bending down, she took Ruby’s hands in hers, brown over white. Ruby’s palms were cool and clammy. Emerald smirked, leaning closer and bringing up both of their hands to graze Ruby’s forehead. It was covered in a sheen of cold sweat.

“What’s wrong, Ruby?” she asked, amused. “Are you seriously that frightened of me? C’mon.”

Untangling their fingers, she fell forward so she was seated on Ruby’s right, one leg hooked around the younger girl’s so Emerald was nearly straddling her thigh. She grabbed Ruby’s jaw, turning her head to force their gazes together. Ruby didn’t say anything, just parted her lips slightly, her breath quickening as Emerald traced the length of her collarbone with an airy finger.

“After all,” she said, “what can I do to you? Cinder made me promise not to break you.”

Her hand dragged down Ruby’s collar and crept inside her unbuttoned shirt, gently thumbing the thickly laid scars that decorated the skin below her collarbone and around her chest. Humming, using her spare hand to undo the rest of Ruby’s shirt buttons, her fingers danced over the thinner scars that crisscrossed over her breasts.

“I bet,” she breathed, her smile turning hard as she glared into Ruby’s scared, empty eyes, “you really  _love_ the games she’s playing with you, huh?”

Her touch remained gentle as she traced a path down to Ruby’s abdomen, the back of her rough fingers gingerly caressing the girl’s rib cage where she knew Ruby was aching with dark, spotty bruises. Her other hand, finished with the buttons, snaked under Ruby’s skirt and kissed the flesh of her inner thigh, where she found the broken texture of more familiar scars. A violent shudder tore through Ruby’s body.

“You’re pretty battered, aren’t you?” Her mouth was against the corner of Ruby’s lips. “Personally,  _I_  prefer my toys without all the wear and tear.”

Her fingers slid higher up her leg and she pressed against her, into her. Ruby’s body was limp and offered no resistance as Emerald pushed herself closer to her, her other hand on the back of her neck now, nails digging into her skin. Hissing a little at Ruby’s lack of response, she cut off the girl’s already laboured breathing by pressing her lips to hers, hard and bruising.

“You must love the attention she gives to you,” she growled against her mouth. She kissed her again, noting Ruby’s eyes were squeezed tightly shut. “You must love how she lets you  _cling_  to her.”

Ruby trembled some more, but otherwise didn’t do anything, didn’t make a sound. Eventually, finally, Emerald pulled back, untangling their legs and wiping her hands on the back of Ruby’s shirt. She studied Ruby with irritation. Ruby’s eyes were still clenched shut, her hands slack at her sides. Her shoulders were stiff, frozen.

“Breathe,” Emerald instructed.

Ruby did so, taking gulping, gasping breaths. She opened her eyes, her gaze distant and bleary. Her dark mop of hair was a sweaty, tangled mess falling over her forehead and despite what they had just done, her skin, her face was still white as a sheet. Her shirt was open and disheveled, and her gaze continued to appear lost and slightly dazed. The girl looked nothing like the Ruby Rose they had betrayed and fought and stolen at the academy.

Emerald sighed theatrically, getting to her feet. “You’re no fun anymore,” she complained. “I don’t know why Cinder still bothers with you.”

Ruby didn’t offer anything in way of an answer.

She huffed, crossing her arms and sneering. “Whatever.” Distaste rose in the back of her throat as she assessed the girl on the bed, this passive doll that used to be a hero. “I’m sure  _you’re_ grateful for her stupid obsession anyway.”

Ruby looked up at her, her dull grey eyes coming into brief focus. “You know,” she said, shy and quiet, “I like being with  _you_  too, Emerald.”

Emerald stopped short, all words getting lost in her throat. That wasn’t part of Ruby’s script. The game was, had been, Emerald would be the bad cop. Emerald liked being the bad cop, liked that even after all these months, Ruby still broke out into a cold sweat at the simple sight of her. She  _didn’t_  like how Ruby’s terror would drive her into the loving, bruising, caressing arms of Cinder but, of course, that had all been part of the game too. And now that it was game over, and Ruby  _loved_ Cinder, Emerald wasn’t quite needed anymore.

Sometimes it was confusing to figure out which part of that it was that bothered her.

Eventually, Emerald grimaced and lightly slapped the younger girl’s forehead. “Don’t say stupid things,” she muttered.

“Oh.” Ruby frowned, glanced down at her motionless hands. “Sorry.”

Emerald sighed again. Some force compelled her to extend a hand to play with Ruby’s thick, knotty bangs. “I wish Cinder would let me cut your hair,” she murmured. She hummed, ruffling Ruby’s hair playfully as her free hand reached into her belt. “It’s getting so long, it’s getting hard to see your precious  _silver_ eyes.”

Casually, abruptly, she pulled out her knife, not one of the ones attached to her pistols, but a smaller, almost crueler blade, sharp and glinting silver. It was, hopefully, one that Ruby was familiar with.

Emerald began twirling it absently around her fingers. The razor edges of fear once again flashed across Ruby’s eyes at the appearance of the weapon, and Emerald was pleased with the reaction. Other than one of Ruby’s fingers twitching infinitesimally, though, she did not move.

“Well?” asked Emerald, leaning down. “What do you think, Ruby? Is your hair bothering you?”

“I—” Ruby swallowed, lowering her gaze.

“Honestly,” Emerald moaned, “I wish you’d actually respond to my questions for once, you know? If it were all up to me, I’d just take you and—”

“And do what, Emerald?”

_Oh. Crap._  She wheeled around to find Cinder materialized at the doorway, having entered the room in complete silence. Her mouth was unreadable, but her eyes were dangerously narrowed. Emerald took a guilty step backwards from the bed.

Meanwhile, Ruby leapt to her feet, her face lit up in an immediate smile. “Cinder!”

An acrid taste flooded Emerald’s mouth at the sheer reverence and relief in Ruby’s voice when she said Cinder’s name. On any other day, perhaps, Emerald wouldn’t have sounded much different.

“Cinder,” she greeted sullenly. “Er, hi.”

“Ruby. Sit,” Cinder commanded, hardly sparing her a glance. “And button up your shirt, if you want.”

Ruby complied instantly, automatically.

Cinder strode towards Emerald, and Emerald flinched involuntarily only to have Cinder take her jaw in a gentle, blistering grip.

“You,” she murmured, steel lining silk, “could learn something from Ruby about  _obedience._  Did I not specifically ask you to never bother Ruby without my  _explicit_ permission first?”

“I was bored,” Emerald mumbled ruefully. She tucked her knife back into her belt. “And I made sure to be careful.”

Cinder tightened her grip, tilting Emerald’s head back slightly. “Just don’t get too insolent,” she breathed, her nails raking the hollow of Emerald’s neck and ripping open an aching chasm of desire inside her chest.

“Yes, ma’am.” She hated how dry her mouth felt after that one simple touch, but Cinder had always done that to her. “Won’t happen again.”

With a small approving smirk, Cinder let go, leaving Emerald to wince after the sharp absence of her heat. She made her way over to the bed while Emerald sulked in the corner.

She watched as Cinder sat next to Ruby on the mattress, dragging the girl into her lap. With a slow, heavy tenderness, she smoothed out the collar of Ruby’s shirt, straightened her skirt, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Ruby smiled blankly and leaned herself into Cinder’s chest. Emerald folded her arms and bit back a pout.

With alarming abruptness, Cinder cupped Ruby’s cheek and captured her lips with her own, enfolding her in a heated, consuming kiss. She turned slightly, pressing Ruby down, dipping her shoulders towards the mattress. Ruby’s cheeks flushed a faint pink and her fingers gripped Cinder’s hair, Cinder’s shoulders, like they were her lifeline.

“Hm.” Cinder pulled back a little. She ran her fingers through Ruby’s mop of hair, considering. “Maybe Emerald was right. It might be a good time for a haircut, don’t you think?”

Ruby didn’t reply to her musing, only smiled again and hummed agreeably. There was something surprisingly earnest about Ruby’s smile, Emerald realized, something about the way she gazed up at Cinder with a bemused kind of admiration. This stirred a strange, different sort of displeasure in the pit of Emerald’s stomach.

It was jarring how many times this distant-eyed Ruby had managed to surprise Emerald—perhaps she and Cinder hadn’t done a good of a job with the girl as they had thought.

Emerald had never liked her, but maybe she understood Cinder’s prickling desire to recapture that earnest shine in Ruby’s face, to possess it and make it hers alone. A part of her almost wanted to be the one who built Ruby Rose back up, after everything they had done to burn her down.

The room suddenly felt stiflingly warm. Cinder continued to stroke Ruby’s hair, and she smirked when she noticed the sour look on Emerald’s face. Just the slant of her lips was enough to sharply evoke a ghost sensation of Cinder’s nails trailing along Emerald’s thighs, to leave Emerald aching and hollow. Acutely, she could feel all the parts of her that craved the burn of Cinder’s touch.

“Oh, Emerald,” Cinder teased, frost edging the softness of her voice, “don’t be jealous of your little sister. It’s petty.”

“I’m not,” she snapped.

“Emerald.” Her tone was warning now, reprimanding.

Emerald bowed her head, contrite, and Cinder smiled again, idly pressing a kiss to Ruby’s neck as she went on petting her hair.

“Don’t worry, Emerald,” she soothed. “You’ll get your turn with her, too. I promise.”

“Yes, Cinder. Thank you.”  _You know that’s not what I want._

Smiling in satisfaction, Cinder angled herself back towards Ruby and let the girl spill onto the mattress. She rested one comforting hand over Ruby’s eyes, carelessly flicking open the top button of her shirt with her other. Understanding that that was her cue to leave them alone, Emerald bowed her head again and turned towards the door.

“Oh, and, Emerald,” called Cinder, red lips twisting into a grin, “get the lights on your way out.”


End file.
